Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-31
TO ABSTAIN FROM PORK.
How the Knight of Labor Proposed to
Help the JOurneymen Pork Butchers.

Help the JOurnc J men Pork ButCheFH.
THE PUBLIC MEETING LAST NIGHT IN THE INTEREST
OF THE STRIKING BUTCHBRs-THE CASE OF THE
JOURSgYMEN STATED TO THE PUBLIC AND THE
ACTION OF THE EMPLOYERS CRITICISED.
The public meeting called at Edels' Hall last
evening by the District Assembly No. 66, Knights
or Labor TO hear presentation of the facts in the
case OF the Journeymen Pork Butchers lockout,
WAS largely attended, every seat being occupied,
While the people were gathering q brass band
played several airs About o'clock, Mr. j. W.
Considine called the meeting to order and intro
duced Mr.. August Donath as the presiding officer
This selection met with the approval OF those
present, and Mr.. Donath, In taking the chair,
said they had not met together to cringe threaten
or buildoze, but as be understood it, the object OF
the meeting was TO call the attention OF the public
10 the facts In relation TO the treatment OF the
Journey men pork butchers by their bosses. The
Knights OF Labor already knew the facts and had
reached conclusion based upon them, and now
tney WISHED d Ia the pubic to oe equally Wen IN
formed, and TO draw their own conclusions He
said that the Journeymen butchers before they
9 STfa1h dO, were IN the habit Of calling
services they received variety OF
prices but no one got more than $40 per week.
Desiring TO better their condition they organized
and succeeded In making terms with their en-
plOyers by which they worked only twelve hours
per day and received extra pay for extra hours.
Under this arrangement their wages have reached
as high as $40 per week and as low as g. 10 per
week. The speaker said that In Europe, with its
much talked OF pauper labor, the latter figure
would be called low wages. While this condition
OF things Was bad said the speaker yet the bosses
wanted even more and broke their agreement by
refusing TO pay Tor extra hours, and the men were
locked out. He maintained that the butchers
were class weil-to-dO and doing good business,
ard there was no good reason for keeping their
men on wages which prevented them from sup
porting their families decently ana living as
human beings. Now what the knights want and
what all men want is to see justice done in this
matter and their men paid fair living wages That
was the Issue and that was the object OF their
meeting
Mr.. BOwEN'S ADDRESS.
Nr. Donath then introduced Mr. Paul T. Bowen,
who said that among the 1ourneymen pork
butchers only ten men received $40 per week The
majority receive but 81 per week, and great many
get considerable less. He thought that 1t Was in
consistent TO want TO get rid Of the Chinese In
this country because OF their servile natures and
their want OF InanuneSS when We have cOntri-
vance In our midst which compelS men to work
from nIteen 10 twenty hours per day for meager
pay. such system Is creating In men just such
qualities as are objected to in the Chinese. The
speaker then read the contract between the
JOurneymen and the bosses under which days
work WAS twelve hours and the pay $40 per week.
Win board In some cases Men receiving that
rate were TO be paid 25 cents per hour Tor extra
time, and 10 cents per hour when their wages
were less. The bosses agreed to employ only
union men This agreement was In operation for
year, and, recently, the bosses notified the men
that they would no longer pay for extra time. He
then reviewed the reasons given by the bosses for
u,
tanned that II the '.sOldiered" on them as they
said, that they were unworthy Of further employ
ment, and yet the bosses had said that they were
willing to resume work under the old terms pro-
yiding the men left the Knights OF Labor He
thought that such statements were mere excuses;
that the men. as class were not OF that charac-
ter, and that all the bosses wanted was to get
them more completely in their power. The
speaker said that II the men left Che knights and
went back 10 wOrK ii would not be long before the
agreement would be again broken, and the men
would be at their mercy Mr.. Bowen said that it
was TO the interest Of business men that the work
Ing class should enjoy short hours Of work
and high wages, and that the cause OF
the men involved deeply the interests OF
out of every hundred TroceTV mem fsiS 1'I IN
business, but II the condition OF the working
classes was better the proportion OF such fai ures
eSted In his matter were unable TO talk for them
selves, and hence others had TO do 1t for them He
had heard the story OF one Of these men. He had
been working for one family for twenty-five years
eating at their table and iaboring for them faith.
fully all this time. Yet when he refused to accede
to this injustice and work extra time for nothing
they forgot his long, faithful services, and told
him that he could either work ON these terms or
leave. He had worked for them twenty-one hours
tain his family on $40 week Yet when the QueS-
ton OF money was involved all this WAS forgotten
The speaker maintained that this was only
another Illustration Of how the present Industrial
system crushed out all human sympathy. 1t was
no wonder, then he Thought, that there
..isma" which gave promise OF Something
better than the present conditions. He thought
that, in preference TO such q state OF affairs it
supply themselves with meat. In this matter as
In all Others, the Knights OF Labor were opposed
secure right and justice, and only resorted to
strikes when every other means failed. They pre-
vented strikes more frequently than was generally
supposed. He thought that while pork was SUBJ
Ject 70 such conditions a. at present existed that
II ought to be diStasteful TO every interested
In labor ana Justice TO all They ought not to have
M w her hoy inf, nod
their friends Of the circumstances 1t ought to take
their appetite away.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
When Mr. Bowen had concluded the chair ap-
dine, VIM. H. Stlckell, J. I. suter, r. J. McCuloch,
and VIM. McCleland The committee retired and
upon returning TO the hall reported set OF reso-
1.-The employing pork butchers OF Washington de-
mand that the journeymen shall work from fifteen
TO eighteen hours per day for wages ranging from
81 10 $40 per week, and whereas an agreement
made between the employers and the journeyInen
TO The effect that twelve hours shall constitute q
days work hHs been broken by the employers
TINS meeting condemns the action OF the en-
ployfng butchers in demanding more than twelve
hours ior days work; that We condemn their
bad faith in breaking the agreement made with
the journeymen; that We pledge ourselves to aid
morally and otherwise, the 1ourneymen pOrk
butchers In securing fair treatment both In time
OF work and pay" and "that We agree to abstain
from using The products of those VINO have their
men locked out, and that We appeal to the general
lOcked-out butchers"
OTHER ADDRESSES.
Mr.. T. S. Banon spoke Of the home ties OF the
workingmen. their social feelings and their
aspirations to improve themselves and TO cult
vate their minds He contrasted these feelings
ana emotions with the hard lot which the grind
Ing nece soities Of life bound them down to. and
made a plea for broad aud Humanitarian treat
ment or the labor question.
The next speaker, Mr. T. Fulton CAN'T, before
beginning his speech, offered to give his time to
any member OF the bosses association
some or whom, 1t was stated, were persent
who wished 10 speak. An invitation OF
thiS KIND was extended from the chair, but no
one responding, Mr. CAN'T proceeded. He said
that the Knights OF Labor were interested In this
cruelty TO Animals are interested in the objects
lot "hlch they are organized. The knights have
only responded To the common appeal to human.
ity. be said that there was future for Tourney
tnen butchers and for all labor. Through the
hnlguts or Labor would come, he predicted the
emancipation OF the labor system in one form or
another, and oil would receive for their labor
every cent that they earned.
MT ; i. Brock bank, tho next speaker thought
tnit II the pork butchers were compelled to wrest
lArlr prOnts from grinding down the laborinD men
they ought to abandon the business
Inc meeting was then adjourned.
Affair." In West WaAhinRtou.
CAsTCkfD.-For a week past Frank Wallace a
young cOIored boy. has successfully hid himself
from the vigilance OF the police, who were after
llIn Tor breaking Richard Clements leg nv n Stone
thrown by him Yesterday morning he was cant
ing. ~
An AssAuLr.-Benj. F. spates swore out a war
n H. plhp fnrr